I'm Excited!!!

I'll be the first to say that I get excited about stuff.

I was pondering the other day about all the hobbies I've had over the years:

• Four Wheel Drive Trucks
• Three Wheelers,
• then Four Wheelers,
• then Dirt Bikes
• Paintball
• Coin Collecting
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Gun Collecting
• Audio/Video/Home Theater
• World War II History

Just to name a few (yeah, there is more).

My problem with said hobbies was my nature to go overboard with them. I had to have the biggest/baddest truck, fastest four-wheeler, best hunting gear, top-of-the-line A/V equipment, etc. I always figured, "if you were going to do it, why not be the best at it." Wouldn't you agree?

And I catch myself sometimes when I'm speaking with someone and the topic turns to one of my passions, that I find myself dominating the conversation and getting loud & excited about it (I apologize if I've ever done that to you).

I find it in my writing too: I get so excited about something that I find I'm ending most sentences with an exclamation mark. (Note: I wanted to post one at the end of that last sentence.)

Sometimes, I find myself being like Elaine in the Seinfeld Episode "The Sniffing Accountant" when she's talking and verbally adding exclamation marks at the end of every sentence.

I'm going to do my best going forward to try to watch over all my exclamation mark usage. But I'll tell you in advance, when I'm excited about something, be prepared for them to come out!!

My question: What hobby or passion gets you excited?

[Note: photo from http://reddingitpro.files.wordpress.com]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

Please share with others:

Did You Hear The One About...?

No, not a joke, but rather a story. Don't you love listening to stories...and to further clarify, not fantasy stories, but real life stories.

As for me, an ol' southern boy, I always tell people "Don't expect to ask a southerner a question and expect a short answer." We love to tell stories. Painting a picture with words makes the conversation so much more enjoyable.

I was talking to a friend of mine last week about hunting, and he started telling me a story about a hunt he had a week ago and it was fascinating! For me, I've learned so much from the times I've been out hunting. And the stories I hear & the ones I can share are so full of memories, laughter and, sometimes, tears. Some of the best memories some folks have are of the times they spent hunting or fishing with their parents.

Just the other day, I went out and sat in my tree-stand on a bow-hunt for whitetail deer. I'm 15' about the ground, perched in a ladder stand against a huge pine tree with plenty of cover behind me. I've an incredible view of pine trees to my right, a large grass pasture in front of me and several hundred acres of soy beans to my left...what a perfect spot. While I'm silently, motionlessly sitting there pondering the issues of life and constantly scanning for any movement, a honey bee from a local hive flies down my shirt collar. WOW! He's walking around my chest, my neck and under my camo face-mask. I know he's not going to sting me - he's only out looking for some moisture/water...but he sure does have me squirming. But I can't move to do anything about it! What if the buck of a lifetime is just inside the tree line inspecting the field before he steps out and sees someone in a tree going crazy beating themselves? BOOM, he's gone! So, I just sat there while Mr. Bee did his thing, eventually he flew off...WHEW!

Life is all stories...yours, mine, our parents, their parents, our kids, our friends, neighbors, family, colleagues, teachers, preachers, etc. We hear these stories through face-to-face interaction, through media (TV, radio, newspaper, magazines, etc.), through Social Media, and on & on.

And, of course we all know some folks are better at telling these stories than others. I'm sure you can think of someone right off the top of your head that you know who tells a great story when sharing something about their life.

Even businesses can prosper with "the right story". Some of the most successful businesses are that way because they are able to share a great story about who they are and why they do what they do.

Scott Ginsberg just wrote a great article about how to be interesting in your story telling endeavors...some great advice. And Salesforce.com CEO, Marc Benioff, shares his advice too.

So THANK YOU for allowing me to share this story with you and I'll be listening for yours as well.

What is one of your favorite story?

Thanks and remember: “Your Success Is My Business.”™

[Note: photo from http://www.graphics-folio.com/]

The Lessons I Learned While...

The Lessons I Learned While Hunting

Can you believe that while only 3% of the U.S. population hunts, the sport is a multi-billion dollar business? WOW! That’s truly incredible! And I’m one of those “3%” folks that enjoy being in the outdoors hunting.

Not long ago, I was talking with a good friend of mine, Paul Smith, and as we often talk about leadership & life, we talked about the fact that there is a lesson in everything we do…regardless of what that is. So during my recent vacation, in which I spent a good deal of time sitting in a tree stand, I thought about all the lessons I learned from something I really enjoy doing---hunting:

• Preparation
  When you hunt, the majority of your success is going to be based around the pre-season preparation. This includes scouting your hunting areas, creating your food plots, setting up your stands and game cameras, practicing target shooting and many other things needed for success. Your business is no different as you need to scout out your territory that you plan to sell in, putting out your marketing items, attending networking meetings including Chamber of Commerce and other such events, understanding and being knowledgeable about your products/solutions, etc. Part of your overall success is going to be directly related to how prepared you are. So just like you have to do your homework for a successful hunt, do your homework for a successful career.
  
• Patience
  Hunting, like sales and many other business aspects, requires a great deal of patience. Nothing great comes easily or quickly. It may take multiple trips to the woods before you bag that trophy; and it will most likely take multiple meetings with your customer/prospect before you have the contract signed on the dotted line.
  
• The Right Tools
  One key to success in hunting is having the right tool for the hunt. You wouldn’t take a bow and go Duck hunting, and you wouldn’t take a .22 rifle and go Elk hunting. You wouldn’t sit in a tree stand to take squirrel (though you could) and you wouldn’t sit in a double bull blind to take quail. And the same holds true for your business. Having the right tools, the right solutions at the right price delivered through world-class service is the key to success.
  
• Practice
  Long before archery season begins, you should be consistently out target shooting. Before Whitetail season begins, you should be out sighting in your rifle scope. The more practice you get the more experience and confidence you acquire which will help in your success. In your business, having hands-on experience with the product(s) you offer is key to your ability to successfully provide them to your customers. Working in the test labs with the Technicians prior to installation, being on hand during installation, attending training sessions are all part of the practice required to gain the knowledge & skills you’ll need to succeed.
  
• Focus
  When you’re hunting, you must have great focus. Spotting a Whitetail easing through the woods is often difficult. I’ve even seen times when a deer walked right behind someone and they never even knew it. And not only must you have focus, but sometimes you need aids (like binoculars) in order to see further than you normally can. Business too needs great focus. You need to have the ability to clearly see what’s around you, but also what’s “down the road” as well. All the while making the necessary adjustments in order to achieve success.
  
• Listening
  Sometimes you spot the big trophy not because you saw it first, but because you were intensely listening and you heard it coming. When you’re hunting, you spend the large majority of your time listening. To be successful in your business or career, you must also spend a great deal of time listening. Listening to what your customer is telling you in order to provide them the exact solution they’re seeking to solve their problem. Hear what your customer is telling you and provide them with the answers they need only after you fully understand.
  
• Mental Toughness
  When you’re hunting, you may find yourself sitting in a tree stand high above the ground for hours on end (and then days on end), and never even see any game. The mental toughness it takes to hang in there when your back, your bottom, your legs are aching and screaming for relief is rough. The wind might be blowing, it might even be raining…but you hang in there. It might be brutally cold, but you tough it out regardless because you know that trophy might be only moments away from showing up. Business is the same way---you’ll experience employee problems, legal issues, billing delays, returns, vendor related problems, lack of teamwork, etc., etc. Being mentally tough through these times, yet still providing world-class service to your customers through all of it will make you smarter, tougher and better suited for success in the long run.
  
• Storms
  Of course we will all have storms in our lives. How many rain-storms have I sat through while hunting looking for that trophy? Business is no different. We must prepare for the roller coaster ride that is life and business. And old Arab proverb states that “all sunshine makes a desert”. Often, if we reflect, we’ll find that we learned the most, grew the most, and eventually prospered the most by going through these storms.

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

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